Despite a sluggish start to training camp, San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis is turning into one of the players to watch after the first week of practices.
Some might have seen it as a reach when the San Francisco 49ers traded up to No. 44 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, grabbing former Washington wide receiver Dante Pettis.
For most teams, perhaps. But not for Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan’s offense is predicated on excellent route-running ability, and Pettis was arguably college football’s best route runner last year. Placed inside a system where he could thrive, Pettis could easily wind up being a key steal from this year’s draft.
Although the first two days of training camp didn’t exactly suggest it.
When San Francisco kicked off camp on Thursday, July 26, Pettis mostly looked both sluggish and indecisive on the field. It was indicative of the general lacking of “an alpha personality,” as NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein put it, and some might have questioned if Pettis was becoming that “reach” many thought the Niners day-two draft move was.
Not when the pads came on, though.
Going up against second-year cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who is projected to be a starter this season, Pettis showcased that excellent separation ability that made him a star in college (h/t Dylan DeSimone of Fourth and Nine):
And if you weren’t convinced Pettis’ separation abilities in the above play were good enough, here’s this from day three of practice last week:
OK DANTE@dmainy_13 x #49ersCamp pic.twitter.com/5bOtYdTcAB
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) July 29, 2018
“He has a unique ability,” quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo told reporters of Pettis, via 49ers Webzone. “I call it wiggle, whatever you want to call it though, of just his body moves a certain way and he explodes out of the break and separates a foot from a guy. That’s all you need. As a quarterback, you love to see that.
“He’s young, he’s learning, just like all of these young guys are. It’s their first training camp. So, we all have a long way to go. But, he’s working hard every day and it’s good to see that.”
The 49ers wide receiver position figures to be one of the more prominent camp battles between now and the regular season. Pettis is a lock to make the roster, but he’ll have a long way to go before overtaking returning veterans like Pierre Garçon, Marquise Goodwin and Trent Taylor.
But efforts like the ones Pettis flashed on days two and three of camp should go a long way in ensuring he can climb the depth chart.
As far as those early struggles? Well, it’s not uncommon to see many first-year wideouts struggle with the transition from college to the pros, never really gaining the impact understanding until their second year at the pro level.
If Pettis’ maturation process took a huge stride in a mere two days, the 49ers would happily take that.